CHAPEL HILL – The stands at Kenan Stadium had emptied, save for a small pocket of purple-clad East Carolina fans crammed into two sections beside the east end zone. The outcome had long since been decided.

And yet, instead of running a play designed to milk the clock on fourth-and-one from just inside midfield, Shane Carden dropped back and fired a 48-yard strike to Lance Ray for touchdown that put an exclamation point on an improbable 55-31 demolition of North Carolina.

You could say that the Pirates were rubbing it in on the Tar Heels by throwing deep in that situation. In a lot of cases, it might have been just that.

Saturday’s win was a big one for ECU coach and alumnus Ruffin McNeill, even if he wouldn’t admit it

But given the history between these in-state schools and the suffering the folks in Greenville have long endured at the hands of their rival, ECU was entitled to at least a little leeway when it comes to enjoying the moment.

A lot of frustration can be built up in 38 years, which is how long it had been since the Pirates had beaten UNC in Chapel Hill before Saturday. And much of it was blown off during the course of a four-hour beatdown no one but coach Ruffin McNeill and his players saw coming.

Especially not after a heartbreaking home loss to Virginia Tech two weeks ago.

“There’s a lot of people, some even at our own university, that didn’t have a lot of faith in us going into this week,” said quarterback Shane Carden, who threw for three touchdowns and rushed for three more while leading his uptempo offense to an incredible 603 total yards. “But we always we did. We don’t listen to the noise, good or bad. We just played our hearts out.”

That desire is nothing new.

There’s no team in the world the Pirates long to beat more than the flagship school of their own university system – a school whose disdain for them was vocalized by UNC running back A.J. Blue after the game Saturday when he said that “Nobody expects to lose to ECU, especially us.”

The difference this time is that the Pirates didn’t get so distracted by the chip on their shoulder that they lost sight of the task at hand.

They roared down the field for a quick touchdown the first time they touched the ball. Then, unlike the Virginia Tech game, they kept the momentum going.

With Carden passing for 376 yards and running back Vintavious Cooper rushing for a career-high 186 – 25 more yards than he’d gained in his three previous games combined this season – ECU had the UNC defense on its collective Heels the entire game.

The Pirates (3-1) didn’t just beat the Tar Heels (1-3). They manhandled them in every phase of the game.

The game was essentially over by the time Chris Hairston bulled into the end zone from three yards out to increase the Pirates’ lead to 35-10 at the 11:38 mark of the third quarter.

That gave ECU plenty of time to savor its first win at UNC since 1975 and only its third victory in 16 all-time meetings.

And savor it, the Pirates did.

They hugged, bumped chests and raised their helmets in celebration, gathering around their cheering section to share the moment with their fans. While Carden directed the band in a rendition of his school’s fight song, McNeill exchanged embraces with chancellor Steve Ballard and athletic director Jeff Compher – cuddling the game ball in his arms as though it was a newborn.

McNeill, an alumnus who played for the Pirates when they battled UNC to a 24-24 tie in 1979, said he planned to give the ball to his father.

Shane Carden ran for three touchdowns and passed for three more against the Tar Heels

It was an action that spoke much louder than the words that were spoken by the coach and his players shortly thereafter in their postgame interviews.

“To get this win was big,” was the extent of the hyperbole offered by McNeill, despite fielding multiple questions about the big-picture significance of Saturday’s long-awaited victory.

“It’s a big accomplishment for the Pirate Nation,” Cooper added. “This is for everyone. It’s for the alumni. It’s for everyone who’s played here. It’s for the fans back in Greenville. It’s for the coaches, for Ruff, everyone. They were excited. We were excited. We definitely wanted to win the game for them.”

Perhaps the Pirates were simply following the old football adage of “when you get to the end zone, act like you’ve been there before.”

Or maybe they just felt as though they’d already made enough of a statement on the field.

Your opening few paragraphs are disingenuous. The Pirates were not trying to rub it in. The Tarheels jumped offsides on 4th and 1. Every good football player knows that when this happens it is a “free play”. The 1st down was assured so taking a stab down the field was the correct thing to do.

Disingenuous … nice word. But not accurate. Up three scores with three minutes left, most teams would have taken the five yards and run out the clock. But it doesn’t matter. ECU deserved the opportunity to celebrate and got it. Enjoy the victory. It was thorough and well deserved.

Brett, please stop defending yourself and just write. I seem to remember a score of UNZ 62, Elon 62 not long ago. At what point that that become too much? The Pirates knew the outcome of previous close games in that place. Circumstances have too often presented themselves for the Heels to pull one out. Some say refs, others say luck, etc. No lead seems to be enough. Yesterday the better team won.

Actually, it’s very accurate. Kids are kids and when Shane saw the UNCCH player jump early he is trained to throw the ball down the field and take a chance because it’s a chance taken without repercussions. Otherwise he’d have just taken a knee from the middle of the 3rd quarter on.

Brett I’m not sure how old you are but when David Garrard’s Pirates had 3 TD’s called back in a game where they dominated the Heels and Julius Peppers about like the game yesterday, you NEVER stop scoring. I mean at ECU we expect to always beat the Tarholes and as one sided as you try to make it seem there have been half of those 12 wins that could be Pirate wins. UNC and NC State have all the advantages but have always had to share the spotlight with the Pirates. For almost 30 years the Pirates have beaten every caliber of program there is and every time we play its as if we are still ECTC from 1920. Wins like yesterday make it evident that is not the case.

‘Nobody expects to lose to ECU’ Mr. Blue. But other stronger teams in the past have fallen to the pirates. ECU came to play/win your Tarheels must have read the ESPN story that ECU was a cupcake and a win. But the players and fans of ECU knew better and look at the score. Who won?

1982. UNC 49- ECU 0. Late fourth quarter . UNC has it’s reserves in the game, but after getting inside the five yard line put Kelvin Bryant, who had already scored five touchdowns, back in the game to score a sixth touchdown and set a school record. THAT was rubbing it in.
UNC has continued to pass on ECU the last five games when they were well ahead and the issue no longer in doubt. Blue said it all, when you aren’t respected there is one sure way to get some respect, and that is to keep taking it to them until the final whistle blows. Way to go ECU! ARRRGHHH!!!!!!!

You could just report the fact the lesser team got taken to the wood shed, as they did. You could say that the lesser team lost with class, but they didn’t. 4 person fouls, a constant exit of fans with each ECU touchdown, and a head coach that barely satisfied the handshake of Ruffin McNeill to name a few. Hey – the reality is the flagship of North Carolina is sailing East. UNC has some seriously soul searching to do if they wish to remain relative in today’s athletic environment.

Shane was trying to get them to jump on 4th down with a hard cadence…which they did. Due to UNC jumping it was a free play. So Shane threw it up…and connected for 6. Shane even told reporters they were planning to punt if UNC didn’t jump. So it wasn’t rubbing it in. So maybe you weren’t being disingenuous, but you certainly did misrepresent the situation whether you did so intentionally or not.